NYC man who sexually assaulted asylum seeker in federal building gets prison time

NEW YORK (PIX11) – A Bronx man will spend five years in prison for sexually assaulting an asylum seeker inside of a Federal building, The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced Friday.

While working as an armed guard at 26 Federal Plaza, 45-year-old Jimmy Arias Solano demanded a male asylum seeker perform sexual acts on him, according to court documents.

“Jimmy Solano-Arias used his position as an armed security officer at a federal building to sexually assault a vulnerable asylum seeker,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. “In so doing, Solano-Arias abused a person he was charged with protecting and then lied to cover up his crime.”

Officials said the defendant, Solano-Arias, was employed as an armed guard for a security company contracted through the federal government. The firm provided services at 26 Federal Plaza.

In May 2023, while the defendant was on duty, the victim went to the building to submit an Asylum application. Solano-Arias allegedly offered to assist the victim with his asylum paperwork. The defendant took the victim to a second-floor office, where he secluded the victim and locked the door. The defendant demanded the victim perform sexual acts on him, court documents said. 

The victim refused at first, but Solano-Arias reached for his employed-issued firearm. According to documents, the victim, fearing that Solano-Arias would harm him, performed the sexual act the defendant demanded. After the assault, the victim reported the sexual assault to law enforcement officials.

The following morning, Solano-Arias returned to the building for his shift. FBI agents asked to speak with the defendant. During an interview, Solano-Arias lied to federal agents, denying the abuse had happened, and then stated sexual acts happened, but the acts were consensual. 

Solano-Arias was arrested after the interview and later pleaded guilty before a federal judge, according to court documents.